Wichita eagle., 1887-05-18
AGUAS CALIENTES.
A TRAVELLERS EXPERIENCE AT A
NOTED MEXICAN RESORT.

Luxury of Hot Bath-Horse Cars in
Mexico-Tin Horns.
This charming city is quite a noted resort
Oh account of its hot water springs. Its
name, Aguas Calientes, means warm waters
There is a great deal here to interest .
stranger, but the baths are the principal at
traction. and they are very fine. II some
enterprising Yankee could come down here,
take possession of these springs and extensive
y advertise them he would make money; but
the present owners are tainted with tho
usual slowness and conservatism of the aver
age Mexican, and consequently they do only
q moderate business. The baths are about
mile and a half from the city, at the end Of q
very broad, beautiful alameda, or shaded
avenue, which runs to the city.
One beautiful, bright morning I started
for the spring to take my first bath there
jbano). Horse cars would carry me, but !
preferred TO walk in the cool shade of the
large trees which line the avenue. There
Is canal running on one side of the alameda
from the springs to the city. 1t was built
by the city and is called the Municipal canal
Io is about five feet wide, and here the popu-
lace may battle to its hearts content, free Of
charge.
1t is the public bathtub, and it is a COM
mon thing for hundreds to be seen at one
time disporting themselves in its waters. As
1 walked on the banks I saw men, women
and children taking their morning baths,
with natures simple dress for bathing sui s.
There were also women washing clothes, rub
bling them on flat stones In manner which
explained the generally used up appearance
;ol, hoI Ioo,
to me the day before from similar laundry,
looking as if they had been through Mexi.
can war.
LUXURIOUS BATH.
Arriving at the bath, 1 was shown to my
room, and handed soap, towel and large
white sheet Not knowing whether this
sheet was intended for bathing suit towel,
or what, I inquired Of my polite attendant,
and, with the aid Of an agreeable English
nan who happened along at the time and
acted as ali interpreter, l learned that, after
bathing, / was to sit down wrapped in this
winding sheet, and slowly dry and cool.
From the dressing room 1 descended by q
short flight of stone %eps to the water, which
was about four feet deep, and encompassed
by very high stone walls The space between
these walls was about fifteen feet square
large enough for a swim. The temperature
of the water was 107 deg.
But the bath-what luxury Clear, bub-
bling, hot water, gushing from fine gravely
BOIL, it was simply delightful, and left no
enervating effects. The primitiveness and
cleanness constituted one charm of the place.
The bathing apartments vary in size, and the
water in different basins is of different tenn
peratures The larger baths cost dos reales
TWENTY-FIVE cents, while the smaller ones
cost only un real twelve and a half cents.
must say little about the horse cars il
Mexico l call them horse cars from habit.
but they are usually drawn by donkeys. The
horse car here is called la tranvia. The cars
are familiar objects in appearance, for they
are mostly manufactured in the United States.
There are first and second class cars, and
sometimes freight and mail car.
OK = MEXICAN HORSE CAR
~ first ride on a horse car i'll this country
was one morning when | saw standinsNA ear
the plaza an open car and closed box C3r.
| have always considered q ride i'll an open
horse car in warm weather luxury, and
preferable to riding III box car, and l knew
of no reason why my taste should change any
in Mexico. SO l boarded the open car. But |
soon found that l was riding second class, and
paid only half the regular first class or box
car, fare. while the first class passengers I'd
in the box car.
The drivers Oh. most OF tine ears carry tiend-
ish tin horns, which they very frequently
blow in the most energetic manner, especially
before coming to Il corner or cross street.
At first the sound was startling and dis
agreeable, but have become accustomed TO
the music, and can now hear them with COM
placency, for the sound assures me that
somebody is active and awake in this dreamy
atmosphere. The noise reminds me of the
horn music we are privileged to enjoy in the
United States about the Fourth Of July
time.
One day in my wanderings in this city, /
found myself in an ancient cemetery, sur
rounded by high walls. There were many
graves dug, waiting for future occupants
New graves had been trespassed on old ones,
and the old ones had been forced to yield up |
their dead SO that the ground was strcwn |
with bones and fragments OF S.alstons.-
NeXl~ Cor Boston Transcript.